Update On Larry

[Guest Pandasmom]

I know I don't get on here very often and most of you do not know us but I thought I would update you all on Larry. Larry is our 3year old that we have had since puppyhood. In July he started having seizures. We are still adjusting his meds because he is still having a seizure about every three weeks or so. We also just found out last week that he has hypothyroidism. In addition he is allergic to grass and has a horrible itchy rash on his chest and feet that he licks and scratches at constantly. I have started putting a shirt on him now to stop the licking of his chest and to hopefully block the pollens from straight skin contact. Other than all that he is still a fun guy and loves to play tug-o-war and peek at the neighbors dog through the fence. I'm hoping this is it for medical issues for him. He is a great dog and doesn't deserve all this.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Susan, also try wiping his feet with a damp paper towel when he comes in from outside. Even if he hasn't been walking in grass, he's likely to have picked up some pollen from sidewalks and such. (You might want to try baby wipes instead of a paper towel--especially if you can find a brand where the built-in moisturizer leaves a nasty taste. A bad taste might discourage the paw-licking.)

 

My dogs are mildly allergic to grass pollens. No one gets to lie right on the grass (I put down a blanket or a bed), and most potty walks take place on pine straw. On the bright side, poop-pickup from pine straw is easier than from grass.

[Batmom]

Hoping your vet used a full thyroid panel to diagnose? Phenobarbitol lowers the T4 reading.

 

Fingers crossed you can control the seizures well and get the itchies under control -- he sounds like a darling pupper.

[greyhead]

Hypothyroidism can prompt seizures, too. So the best case would be treating that and having the seizures disappear. Hey, it happened for us! So I'll hold a good thought that it'll happen for you and Larry.

[Guest TeddysMom]

It would be wonderful if getting the thyroid balanced helps get rid of the seizures. Larry is such a cute hound and sounds like a sweetie. I will be saying prayers for him and you.

[Patclara]

I have a LOT of experience with grass allergies.

Anna's feet and ankles get red and then she licks them off unless I put her feet and ankles in TEPID water. Then I wipe her dry with a clean towel.

It seems to alleviate her need to keep licking and soothes her itchiness.

The hard part is remembering to rinse her feet and ankles every time she is exposed to the grass.

Sometimes, age lessons the sensitivity too.

He is a pretty boy!

[RobinM]

Keeping Larry in my thoughts and prayers.

[Guest Pandasmom]

Hypothyroidism can prompt seizures, too. So the best case would be treating that and having the seizures disappear. Hey, it happened for us! So I'll hold a good thought that it'll happen for you and Larry.

 

That would be wonderful if it works out that way. How did you determine that the hypothyroidism was causing the seizures?

[greyhead]

Hypothyroidism can prompt seizures, too. So the best case would be treating that and having the seizures disappear. Hey, it happened for us! So I'll hold a good thought that it'll happen for you and Larry.

 

That would be wonderful if it works out that way. How did you determine that the hypothyroidism was causing the seizures?

Two vets that treated him said that it could be the thyroid. After he started on Soloxine, the seizures stopped. They had been small ones, not grand mals. And sometimes they seemed prompted by a trigger, like smoke wafting by. They were occurring every 2 or 3 days for a few weeks, sometimes more than once a day.

 

Just to round out the picture, our main concern was the "aggression" that he started showing and that stopped with thyroid treatment. (It was really a defensive reaction to feeling vulnerable, which having a thyroid in the basement would make a dog feel!) It was a huge relief to get both the seizures and the growly behavior stopped.

 

I'm afraid I didn't answer your question very fully. All I know is that the thyroid is connected to everything that the body does. Thyroid defect can cause everything from indigestion to muscle/joint pain, heartbeat irregularities, and miscommunication between neurons! Being hypothyroid myself and having experienced a ton of weird symptoms that went away with thyroid treatment, I wasn't moved to quiz the vets about Spencer's seizure/thyroid connection very thoroughly. I didn't need to be convinced that a poorly functioning thyroid can screw up just about anything. When he had no more seizures after Soloxine, that was all the proof we needed...

 

I hope things turn around for Larry and will stay tuned for an update.